Mirror Force
by Mage of the White Beast
Summary: Just before the epic duel between Pegasus and Yugi, another duelist arrives and challenges Yugi. Who is this mysterious girl? Why does she seem so similar to Yugi? And why does Joey find her so darn familiar...? My first fic, so be gentle. :)
1. Part I

I can't believe I'm FINALLY getting to post this! This was my first ever fanfic, and I think it will help explain a little about Raia, since I use her in almost ALL of my other fics! Anyway, since this was my very first, please don't stone me! Read, review, and enjoy. And remember, I don't own yugioh, otherwise I would be sitting in some penthouse loft, rather than writing fanfics on a Garfield Heights school computer. I do own Raia, though! 

Mirror Force

By: Robin J. Sky

PART I

          The girl panted as she ran up the steps. Taking two at a time, her mind was set and determined to make it to the doors...            

            "And now, for your dueling pleasure..." Croquet began. Pegasus' footsteps echoed down the hall towards the arena.

            The girl stopped short before the great doors of the castle. She banged loudly, praying that someone would grant her entrance. She HAD to get inside...

            "Castle Pegasus presents the creator of Duel Monsters himself..." Croquet continued.

            She ran through the halls, the echoing sounds of her feet drown to her ears by her pounding heart...

            "Maximilion Pegasus!" Croquet finished with a flourish.

            Joey humped. "What a..." *BAM!!* 

            Through the doors burst a young girl, panting hard. She ran past Téa, Tristan, and Bakura, and almost knocked Joey over.

            "Hey, watch it!!" Joey yelled.

             Through her heavy breaths, the girl managed to yell out "STOP!!!!"

            Yugi and Pegasus turned to look at the source of the interruption, Yugi startled and Pegasus clearly annoyed.

            The girl regained her breath. "I demand that this tournament be suspended!"

            Joey, Tristan, and Téa looked at each other, puzzled expressions evident. "Who is this nutjob?" Joey asked.

            "Joey!" Bakura chided in a hushed voice.

            "On what grounds?" Pegasus asked, irritated.

            "The grounds of unfair rules. I request a fair chance at the championship."

            "And what, pray tell, makes you so entitled to such a request?" Pegasus asked.

            The girl held up her hand. On it was a red duelist's glove, complete with ten star chips. 

            Yugi and his friends looked at her with amazement. Pegasus' expression turned quickly from annoyance to amusement. He looked at Yugi.

            "Well, it seems we have quite a predicament."

            Joey snarled. "Whaddaya talkin' about? The finals of the tournament are already over!"

            Yugi looked at Joey. "But the rules of the tournament say that anyone with ten star chips is supposed to be admitted to the finals..." he reasoned.

            "That's right, Yugi-boy" Pegasus mused. He looked back at the girl. "What do YOU propose should be done about this?"

            She looked surprised, obviously not having expected the question. She thought a moment, and then announced her decision. "I challenge HIM to a match." She pointed a menacing finger at Yugi. "Whoever wins faces Pegasus, all or nothing."

            "Sounds fair to me," Pegasus said, grinning. "What do you think, Yugi-boy?"

            "This is nuts!" Joey called out. "Yugi already made it through all the rounds of the tournament. Why should he have to duel anyone else? Especially this wacko!"

            "Jo-ey!" Téa scolded.

            The girl turned to look at Joey with fierce blue eyes. One glance at her expression, and Joey promptly shut his trap. She turned back to face the arena where Yugi and Pegasus were poised. Joey narrowed his eyes. 

            _I've seen that look somewhere before..._

            Yugi was lost in thought. _I already won the right to face Pegasus, but she did win ten stars. I've got to give her a fair chance._

            "I accept the challenge," he said aloud.

            "What?!" the four others said in unison.

            Raia smiled in satisfaction. _This should be a piece of cake. That little shrimp doesn't stand a chance against me. Her expression changed to one of defiance and determination. _I'm coming, guys...__

            Pegasus looked a little too pleased. "Then it's settled," he chimed cheerfully. "The final Duelist Kingdom match will be Yugi Mutoh versus..." he paused, looking at the girl.

            "Raia Chitoshi," she finished.

            Pegasus turned and left the dueling ring, and Raia was off like a shot.

            A moment later she reappeared and took her place opposite Yugi on the duel platform.

            "So you're Yugi Mutoh?"

            "Yes I am," Yugi replied.

            Raia narrowed her eyes. "Prepare to lose, Yugi," she said in a cold voice.

            "Huh?"

            "I came here for my own reasons, but it seems that I'll have the added luck of eliminating you from this tournament," she said.

            "But what did..." Yugi started.

            He was interrupted by Pegasus who had returned to his place aside the stadium, and declared loudly "Let the dueling begin!"

            The decks were shuffled, cut, and returned. Then each player drew their first five cards. Raia looked across the ring at Yugi.

            Her jaw dropped.

            She saw now what she hadn't noticed before: an inverted pyramid hanging from his neck. It glowed softly, and Raia could sense the change in him.

            "YOU have a Millennium Item?!?" she exclaimed.

            Yugi looked up at Raia, and gave a half-smile. Every duelist had their own way to throw off their opponents, and activating his Millennium Puzzle was his. Although he was a little surprised that she knew what it was...

            "Huh?"

            Watching Raia from across the arena, he saw brilliant light beam out from her chest, and had to shield his eyes. When he looked back, Raia seemed _very_ different. The most noticeable change was the oversized heart hanging from her neck.

            _Another Millennium item! She has one, too!_

            "It seems that your puzzle isn't going to give you the advantage of intimidation _this time," Raia called, in a much more commanding voice than she'd had before._

            Yugi growled, recalling his duel with Panik. "Then I'll be just fine," he called back.

            Raia grinned. _Hmm... Certainly struck a chord, didn't I? "Then let's duel," she said. "I play Curse of Dragon, in attack mode." The holographic creature that appeared let out a high screech._

            _Curse of Dragon?_ Yugi thought.

            "Hey, Yugi's got that same card," Joey remarked.

            _I've never had to face one of my own monsters before. _Yugi grinned as he looked at the card he drew. "Strong monster," he commented, "but not strong enough. Go, Gaia, the Fierce Knight!"

            _Gaia the Fierce Knight?! No way! _Raia thought in shock. _Wait a minute..._

            The soldier charged at the image of the dragon. The dragon screeched again as it shattered.

            Raia grumbled as her life point count lowered to 1700. She drew a card and looked at her hand. 

            "First, I'll lay Gyakutenno Megami on the field," she started.

            _A fairy card? Against my knight?_ Yugi wondered. _What's she up to?_

            "Then I'll lay these two cards face down, to end my turn." Two spaces behind the fairy shimmered as the holographic lights played over them. 

            "If that's the best you have, then this will be over in no time. Gaia, attack!"

            The warrior didn't move. Raia smirked.

            "Huh? What have you done to him, Raia?"

            "Just a nifty little trap called Pheremones. One of my favorites, I might add," she replied.

            "Pheremones?" Joey called from the balcony. "What kinda wacky card is that?"

            Raia looked up at him. "Just like a guy not to know about this card. Pheremones makes all my girls experts in their...feminine wiles. If I have a female monster on the field, this trap makes all of Yugi's monsters too _enamored_ to attack." She snickered cruelly.

            "Not bad," Bakura commented. "She seems like she could almost be as good as Yugi."

            "No way," Tristan countered. "This'll be his easiest match yet. There's nothing that'll stop him from rescuing his grandpa."

            "That's right. Yugi didn't come all this way just to lose," Téa added.

            _Rescuing his grandfather? _Raia wondered. _What is he talking about? _She looked back at Yugi and shrugged. "Oh, well, I guess it's my turn." She drew her card.

            _Perfect! _she thought.

            "I'll put one monster and one other card face- down on the field. Then, I can flip over Monster Reborn to resurrect Curse of Dragon in defense." 

            "Hmm..." Yugi mused.

            "Finally, I play the Luminous Spark, raising my fairy's attack to 2300."

            "That will still only make it even with Yugi's knight," Bakura observed.

            Raia grinned maliciously. "Megami, attack!"

            "But it's a draw!" Yugi said as he watched both creatures be destroyed.

            "So it is," Raia replied calmly. "It's also your turn."

            "Look, I told ya she was nuts. Her attack destroyed both monsters. What good did it do her?" Joey commented.

            _Why would she sacrifice a creature to destroy one of mine, if she could have made it even stronger?_ Yugi wondered. _I'll have to wait and see what she plays out_.

            Raia smiled. _He has no idea what I'm planning to do. All of this has been a ploy to get his monster under my control..._

            Yugi drew. "I'll play the Summoned Skull!"

            _Time to get a peek at her strategy._

            "Destroy Curse of Dragon! Lightning Strike attack!"

            "Not so fast. I play this trap card, Shift! It allows me to redirect you Summoned Skull's attack to whichever monster I choose. And I choose my face-down card, the Magician of Faith!"

            Yugi looked a little nervous. "That monster's effect allows you to bring back a magic card from the graveyard."

            "Sheesh, Sherlock, I'm glad you know the rules. I bet even your pet puppy up there could have figured that out," Raia mocked, pointing at Joey.

            "Puppy?! Why you..." Joey growled.

            "Down boy," Téa said dryly.

            She took a card from her graveyard pile. "Does that make it my turn?"

            "Yes, it does," Yugi answered reluctantly.

            "Beautiful! Then I'll use Monster Reborn _again_, but to bring back _your knight."_

            "No!"

            "Then I'll turn Curse of Dragon to attack mode."

            _Wait a minute. I've seen this before, too. _"Aw, man!" Joey exclaimed.

            "What is it?" Tristan asked.

            "If she has what I think she has in her hand, Yugi's about to face one of his own strongest monsters!" Joey answered.

            "Huh?" Téa looked blankly at him.

            "That's right," Raia called in a sing-song voice. "Go, Polymerization!"

            Yugi, Joey, Tristan, and Téa all gasped.

            "Behold, Gaia the Dragon Champion!" Raia called triumphantly. "Attack!"

            "No!" Yugi called again, as the image of his Summoned Skull turned to holographic dust.

            "That takes you down 100 life points."

            Yugi looked down at his hand. _I don't have anything in my hand that can beat a monster that strong. I'll have to defend until I can figure a way out of this..._

            "I hope you still don't harbor any illusions about winning this game, Yugi Mutoh. I'm here on a mission, and I am dead-set on winning this duel and facing Pegasus."

            The determination in Raia's face was unmistakable. _I have to face him, and I have to win. Otherwise, I'll never see them again..._

            Joey stared at Raia. _I swear she looks so familiar..._


	2. Part II

I came back from the dead!! Well, not really, but I sent her the next part to that, but apparently my dear friend silver hasn't had any time to update it. I still thank her much for posting it for me! =0) Anyway, yes, now that I have my own account, I can save her the trouble of updating! Speaking of updating, here's part number two! (for those of you who haven't read it already…) Oh, and I have a guest for my disclaimer today!

Joey: Hey. Um, she told me to tell y'all that she don't own nothin', 'cept for that freakishly familiar girl…

Robin: Don't call her a freak!

Joey: Why not?

Robin: *grumbles* I can't tell you yet.

PART II

            _I never thought I'd have one of my own monsters turned against me,_ Yugi thought as he stared down Raia's current monster, Gaia the Dragon Champion. 

            "Yugi may be in trouble," Tristan noted somberly.

            "No way," Téa protested. "Yugi's pulled himself out of situations way worse than this, and he'll do it again."

            "Doubtful," Raia called. "My dragon champion IS a strong monster, but it's nothing compared to the REST of the hazards my deck holds."

            Yugi drew his next card. "We'll just see about that," Yugi retorted. "Dark Magician!"

            Raia scoffed. "You think that puny mage will stop me? It's about to be open season on your life points, Yugi."

            "My magician will stop you in your tracks, as long as you can't find him," Yugi said as he put a magic card on the field.

            "Alright!" Joey cheered.

            "Magical Hats!"

            "What?" Raia cried.

            "That's right. To attack my Dark Magician AND my life points, you'll have to pick a hat. But beware, there are many other dangers hiding beneath them as well," Yugi finished as he placed another card face down. 

            _I bet it's a trap card, too. I'll be risking my dragon champion. But... if I can pick the RIGHT hat, it'll destroy what I'm sure is one of his strongest monsters._ Raia thought.

            "Hmm..." She drew a card. "You're right, Yugi, it will stop me from attacking, for now. But there are plenty of other moves I can make, like this." She placed one card face down on the field as well. 

            "My turn," Yugi announced. He drew his card. "And I'll lay this on the field, face-down."

            _Grrr__... Another trap? Raia thought, frustrated. __This is going nowhere. I'll have to risk an attack. I have to find his monster._

            "Gaia, attack the second hat from the left! Find the Dark Magician!" The great warrior charged at the giant hat, destroying it.

            _What was it?_ Raia wondered. The resulting smoke blocked her view of Yugi's half of the field.

            She heard Yugi chuckle through the smoke. As it cleared, she could see the smirk on his face. 

            "Too bad, Raia. That was an empty hat, and a wasted turn." _And it gives me more time to beat that dragon champion._ He drew his card. "I'll end this turn without playing a card, and it's your move."

            _If Yugi has two traps and a monster under the hats, I destroyed the only empty one there was. Now, it's up to luck, but the odds are against me. _She drew a card. 

            "I'll lay this face down on the field." _Now we both have two hidden cards._ "Gaia, attack the hat on the far right!"

            _PLEASE let it be the Dark Magician!!_

Raia had to grip the sides of the dueling station to keep herself from being knocked over. Yugi shielded his face from the force of the explosion.

The smoke from the attack clouded the entire field.

_            She attacked with two cards hidden under the hats?? This should be that champion's last move..._

The smoke settled...

            ...and the image of Yugi's Dark Magician shattered!

            Every inhabitant of the room let out a collective gasp, including Pegasus, _and _Raia.

            "I don't believe it!! No one's EVER found Yuge's magician before!!" Joey yelled in amazement.

            "I did it!" Raia celebrated. "I actually found the Dark Magician!"

            Yugi heard the sound of the computer lowering his life points to 1800. He stared at the empty field, not saying a word.

            "Look at him," Téa said. "He's completely out of it."

            "S'ok, Yuge," Joey called. "You're still in the lead!"

            Yugi's eyes narrowed. _Joey's right, and I still have both of these other cards on the field._ He drew his card. "I play this monster, in defense mode."

            _Since I've destroyed his Dark Magician, he has no way of beating my monster. But if he keeps playing in defense mode, I'll never get at his life points. If I attack, though, there's nothing stopping him now from turning over one of those traps._

            "I could destroy your monster right now, but I think I'll be generous and give you a free turn," Raia said after drawing her card.

            "Very well," Yugi said. "And for my turn, I turn over one of my hidden cards: Monster Recovery!"

            "What does that card do?" Raia asked nervously.

            "It's a magic card that allows me to recall all the monsters from my graveyard, add them _and my hand to my deck, shuffle, and draw five new cards," Yugi explained as he demonstrated the steps. "And with a new hand comes a whole new game! Go, Dark Magician!"_

            _No way! How did he manage to pull that card in the very first draw?!_

            "Alright, Yugi!" Joey cheered.

            "And then I equip him with the Book of Secret Arts!"

            "No! That makes him stronger than Gaia!" Raia protested.

            "That's right. Dark magic attack!"

            Raia gritted her teeth as she saw her monster demolished. 

            _I lost my dragon champion and another two hundred points with that attack. Plus, there's his magician to worry about, again. This kid's a lot better than I gave him credit for. But this game's not over yet... _She drew her next card. _Skyla__, Ruler of Air? It's a strong card, but not strong enough to beat his Dark Magician. At least, not yet..._

_            "_I play this card in attack mode: Skyla, Ruler of Air!"

            _Why would she play that card now? She knows it's no match for my Dark Magician. Well, I can't let any mistake go unpunished._

"Attack, Magician!"

            "No way," Raia countered.

            "What?" Yugi asked.

            "Remember my facedown cards? Well, now I activate Negate Attack, saving Skyla from your magic."

            "Grr..." Yugi grumbled.

            Raia drew again. "Alright! Go, Temporal Stasis!"

            "What is that?" Yugi asked.

            "I've never even heard of half these crazy cards!" Joey complained.

            "Temporal Stasis freezes all of your monsters on the field for three turns, even ones you play _after this. You can't attack with them, and you can't change their position on the field."_

            "Which makes them vulnerable to any attack!" Yugi finished.

            "That's right, Yugi. Just wait. I've got a strategy all ready and waiting to take out your Dark Magician again."

            _If I can draw the right cards..._

            "My turn," Yugi announced. "And I'll lay the one monster in defense mode."

            "Good idea. You don't want to have anything that I can destroy _before_ your Dark Magician out. That's one turn down. For mine, I play Duri, Ruler of Earth, attack mode!"

            _That card is weaker than the Dark Magician, too. What's she planning?     _

"Fine. For this turn, I'll set one card on the field."

            "And then there were two," Raia chimed. She drew her card. _Yes! Now I only need one more card! But for now... _"Ocea, Ruler of Water!"

            "You waste your turns playing monsters you _know_ are weaker than the Dark Magician," Yugi said.

            "Perhaps. But perhaps they are part of a greater entity the likes of which you can't even imagine," Raia opposed. "And perhaps each of these monsters, though weaker in attack strength than the Dark Magician, are useful in ways you don't even know about."

            _She's right. I've never seen these cards before. But what could she possibly be scheming?_

"Don't listen to her, Yuge," Joey called.

            "Yeah, don't let her mess with your head," Téa cheered.

            Yugi narrowed his eyes in resolution. He was _going_ to win this match.

            "I throw this monster card in defense mode," he announced.

            "Only one turn left, Yugi. How does it feel?"

            "Perhaps you should be asking yourself that question," he responded.

            "Huh?" Raia queried.

            "Next turn, my magician will be free to attack, and all of your monsters are still weaker than him. I don't think _I'm the one who should be feeling the pressure."_

            _If he only knew... Raia thought nervously. _I just need one card... but I still have a whole deck to go through. What if... What happens if... No! I have to put my trust completely into my deck. It's never let me down before..._ She drew the next card out. __And it never will... She slowly turned it over._

            "This is it, Yugi! Pyre, Ruler of Fire!"

            "What?"

            "The time has come, Yugi. Dark Magician or no, you will lose. But for now, mine turn is over."

            "As are the effects of your magic card," Yugi added. "What happened to your strategy? Dark Magician, DARK MAGIC ATTACK!!"

            "I don't think so. Go, Reciprocate!"

            "Huh?" Yugi wondered aloud.

            "Nyaaahhh!!" Joey cried in frustration. "ANOTHER card I've never heard of!"

            "This card switches the attack and defense of one of my monsters with the attack and defense of one of yours!" Raia said victoriously. "And I choose Skyla, whose attack is only 2400!"

            "But that means..." Yugi began.

            "You betcha! Go, Skyla! Destroy the Dark Magician!"

            For the second time this game, the Dark Magician vanished from the field.


	3. Part III

Ooohh, I'm so glad people are actually liking this story! I was afraid no one would read it because it's so lame (remember it was my first ever). Anyway, now that I have three reviews, I can post the next part! Remember I don't own nuthin' but Raia. Remember to read and review! (I wonder if anyone has come close to figuring out who she is yet…)

PART III

            Yugi stared blankly at the field. His life points had been severely depleted after his Dark Magician was destroyed by Raia's monster. The current score stood at Raia: 1500, Yugi: 1400.

            "Come on, Yuge!! Why didn't you turn over one-a them trap cards?!" Joey shouted.

            "Geez, Joey, keep cool," Tristan advised.

            Yugi looked up at Joey, a blank glaze covering his eyes. He countered quietly: "Who said they were trap cards?"

            "Huh?" Joey asked.

            "You bluffed that whole time?" Raia realized.

            "Mai always said psychology is half the game," Téa said quietly.

            "No joke. That loss really shook Yugi up," Joey observed.

            "Don't give up, Yugi!" Tristan encouraged.

            "That's right," Bakura added. "There's still a lot left to this duel."

            Yugi nodded, and then looked back at Raia.

            "Aww...how sweet. Almost breaks my heart..." she mocked.

            _'...if I had one...' _Joey finished the thought. _THAT'S IT! . He took a long, hard look at Raia, and all the pieces fell into place. __But...there's no way... Could she...? Nah.... Is it possible...?_

Téa looked at Joey, then nudged Tristan. He looked at Joey.

            "Hey, earth to Joey. What's up?" he asked.

            "Huh?" Joey answered, pulled from his daze. "Ah, it's nothin'," he said. 

            "I know you," Tristan replied, "and that ain't a 'nothing' look. What's the matter?"

            "I don't know. There's somethin' really familiar about that girl, though."

            "What do you mean?" Téa prodded.

            "She...reminds me a someone," Joey explained.

            "Well, who? Spill it Joey," Tristan prompted.

            "I'm not sure," he lied. "It's probly just nothin'."

            Yugi looked down at the cards on the field. His face sobered up quickly. _I won't lose..._

Raia looked over at Yugi. _Even after all that, he's still defiant. I gotta give him credit for the tenacity, but that isn't going to help him with this. I will defeat him. Then, it's on to Pegasus..._

She slowly drew her next card. "This is it, Yugi. Are you ready to face defeat?"

            "There is no way I'm going to lose to the likes of you," he answered fiercely.

            "Wrong, Yugi," Raia countered. "Not only will you lose this match, but _I will regain what I've lost just by defeating you."_

            "Huh?" Yugi said. "What do you mean?"

            "I mean that because of _you, something very dear was taken from me. And in beating you, I am sure that I can reclaim it."_

            "I don't know what you're talking about," Yugi said, genuinely confused.

            "I don't expect you to understand, Yugi," Raia replied. "But that's no matter to me. This card seals your defeat either way. Elemental Control!"

            _Wait a minute... Now THAT card I've heard of!_

            "In case you all didn't know, this is the final step of my plan. I can use this card to combine the four elemental rulers that you see before into one supreme controller of the elements!"

            The four creatures were enveloped in a bright light. When it dimmed, the monster that had taken their place looked stronger, meaner, and uglier if that was possible. The creature was a true monstrosity, having four different heads, huge leathery wings, razor claws, and a tail that seemed to be made of an eternal blaze of fire.

            "Ladies and gentlemen, may I present: the Terrestrial King!"

            "Ugh!" Téa said in disgust. "That thing is horrid!"

            "Quit the comments from the peanut gallery!" Raia called. 

            She looked back at Yugi. "The end is now. I can use the magic of the Elemental Control to attack twice with this one beautiful creature you see before you. Once I destroy your defense monster, the game is over."

            "Oh, no," Téa whimpered.

            "Yugi..." Joey said softly.

            "Terrestrial King," Raia commanded, "ATTACK!!"

            Yugi's defense monster shimmered into view.

            "Look!" Joey called. "It's a Kuriboh!!"

            "All right, Yugi!!" Téa cried.

            "They're in denial. Celebrating over a Kuriboh?" Raia said.

            "Not just _a Kuriboh..." Yugi began._

            "Here it comes," Tristan chimed.

            "...but _thousands of them. Go, Multiply!!"_

            "_WHAT?! Multiply!?"_

            "That's right," Yugi answered. "Now instead of just one monster, I have an army of them standing between you and my life points."

            Raia's attack reached the Kuriboh, causing a hundred explosions, from which she and Yugi had to shield themselves. She looked back at Yugi's field.

            "No way! All the Kuriboh are still there!"

            "Yes. And with them on guard, there isn't a card in your deck that can reach my life points now."

            Raia growled.

            "Now, it's my turn," Yugi said defiantly as he drew his card. "And I play one card face down."

            _He's just stalling until he can play Reborn the Monster or draw one of his stronger monsters, but it won't matter. As long as the magic of Elemental Control remains on the field, I'm as invincible as he is. But what do I do now?_

She drew a card, and sighed. "It's your turn, Yugi. There's nothing I can do for now."

            Yugi gave a soft sigh of relief. _It's nice to see her on the defense for once._

            "I play the Summoned Skull, in attack mode."

            Raia smirked.

            "Lightning Strike!"

            Raia brightened a little. "_That_ I can handle! Terrestrial King, counter the attack!"

            One of the monster's heads rose up and roared loudly. The lightning from the Summoned Skull's attack rained down on the creature, but was fended off by some kind of shield.

            "What's goin' on?" Joey yelled.

            "How is that monster blocking the attack?" Téa asked.

            "Easily. Since the Terrestrial King is still made up of four separate entities, if one is attacked, the other three can block for it," Raia explained.

            "Sounds like that Gate Guardian Yuge and I faced against the Paradox brothers," Joey said.

            "It's similar," Raia replied, "and nearly unbeatable. There's no way to get through him. But now that you have another monster besides those lumps of scuzz, I can get through to YOU!"

            "Are you sure?" Yugi asked calmly. "Are you willing to take that chance?"

            "I always am..." Raia replied. "Terrestrial King, ATTACK!"

            "And I play, Mirror Force!" Yugi answered.

            "MIRROR FORCE?! No way!!!"

            "Yes, and you've just sealed your Terrestrial King's fate!"

            "NOOOOOO!!!!!!" Raia cried. The attack ricocheted back at her own monster, which was annihilated from the field. She heard the counter in the background lower her life points to 1000.

            _That was... My best monster... How..._ It was Raia's turn to stare at the field in disbelief. _Even if I can play another monster, it probably won't be strong enough to stand up to his Summoned Skull, and I can't get at his life points through all those fuzzball Kuriboh! She drew._

            "I play this monster in defense mode," she said.

            "Hm," Yugi answered. He looked at Raia. _It's... like she's lost the will to keep playing. Destroying that monster was a heavy hit, but... It doesn't matter now. I'm going to win for my Grandpa, to bring him HOME!_

Raia's Millennium Heart glowed brightly for a brief second, and she saw the flash of an image before her eyes. It was an old man, one who looked a little like Yugi himself. And two others... _NO WAY__!!!_

            Raia's breaths grew ragged. She was bent over the arena station, and her eyes swelled with tears. _My brothers... I... I can't win this way... Not against him..._

"I...don't think I can finish this match..." she started.

            Yugi was a bit taken aback. "You mean..." he began.

            Raia just blinked. She couldn't bring herself to surrender. She had never given up to ANYONE. But Yugi was different...

            "No, Raia," he called.

            "Huh?" was all she could answer.

            "I don't want you to give up. You said that you came here with a purpose. And that's a rare thing in my experience. If you've got something to fight for, DON'T give up!"

            "But...I..." Raia stammered.

"Let the heart of the cards decide who wins this match," Yugi coached.

            _The Heart of the Cards...? _she thought._ Wait, THAT'S IT!! The Heart of the Cards!!_


	4. Part IV

Aww, you know I wouldn't leave y'all in the lurch. I'm actually surprised that people have figured it out already, it took them on another place I posted this until the very end of the story. Anyway, if you haven't figured it out, don't read any of the reviews. But I have to say, even those who THINK they know what's going on, there's still one little detail left…

PART IV

            Raia grinned. "You're absolutely right, Yugi. The Heart of the Cards _will decide this match, and I have a good feeling it will end in _my _favor."_

            Yugi nodded. "Then for now, I lay this face down and end my turn."

            Raia drew her next card. _Paralyzing Potion! This is exactly what I need!_ "I play another monster, on the defense. And I add this card, face down."

            "My turn. I'll use it to attack with Summoned Skull!" Yugi said.

            Raia watched her Dark Witch dissolve away.

            _It's getting down to the wire, she thought. _If I can't draw that in the next few turns..._ She drew her card. "All right! I play the Wingweaver!"_

            "The whaaat?" Joey asked.

            "The Wingweaver," Téa answered. "It's the strongest fairy in the whole game!"

            "Oh, sure, that's something _I_ would know about..." Joey retorted sarcastically."But there's no way a fairy can beat the Summoned Skull."

            "A fairy with an attack of 2750 could do it very easily," Raia said.

            "2750?  Impossible!" Joey argued.

            "Oh, yeah? Watch. Wingweaver, destroy the Summoned Skull!"

            "Oh, no!" Joey cried.

            "Not so fast, Raia," Yugi said. "Remember _my_ facedown card?"

            "You are _so joking..." Raia said in disbelief._

            "This is no joke," Yugi replied. "It's the Spell-Binding Circle!"

            "Nooooo!!" Raia wailed. "Not again!"

            "Oh, yes. With the Wingweaver unable to attack, and seven hundred points weaker, the advantage is mine. Attack!" Yugi ordered.

            The great explosion that resulted forced Raia to shield her eyes. She looked back at the field. _That's another 450 points! There's no way I can win now!_ She saw her facedown card. _The only hope I have left is to draw a card stronger than the Summoned Skull, and the chances of that are slim. Her face hardened again in resolve. _No, I have to trust in the heart of the cards..._ she thought as she drew her next card._

            Her eyes widened in dismay. _This card is totally useless. _"Your turn, Yugi."

            _I hate to finish her off like this, but I have to win to save my grandpa.  "Summoned Skull, Lightning Strike!"_

            Raia's Mystical Elf vanished in a shimmer of light.

            _This is it, she thought. __The last play I have. She was near tears._ But I have to have faith. I can win this, I just need one card. Please... let me save my brothers...__

            She drew the card. Her jaw nearly dropped. 

            "THIS IS IT!!" she cried. "Prepare yourself, Yugi, to come face to face with the Heart of the Cards!" She threw the card on the field with all her might.

            "Huh?" Yugi asked, totally bewildered. The object that appeared was a small, white heart that radiated a brilliant white light.

            "What is 'is? Some kinda joke?" Joey called.

            "No. This is the Heart of the Cards. One of the most powerful and rarest cards in the entire game," Yugi responded.

            "Most powerful?" Joey asked. "But it doesn't have any attack points..."

            "The magic of this card allows me to change it to any other monster. Whatever represents what lies at the heart of _my_ cards," Raia explained.

            "You mean any other cards from _this _duel, right?" Joey said.

            "No," Raia retorted. "ANY other monster. In the entire game."

            "Wow," Tristan breathed. "That is powerful."

            "If what my grampa told me is true, there are only two of these cards in the whole world!" Yugi said.

            "That's right. Now, Yugi, you are about to face the very power of the heart itself! Go, Heart of the Cards! Let the heart of _MY _cards be REVEALED!!!!!" Raia commanded.

            The small heart's light increased in intensity ten-fold, blanketing the entire room with whiteness. Yugi and his friends all had to shield their eyes against its brilliance. The room shook with the power of the card's transformation, and through the rumbling, Yugi and company heard a tremendous, and _VERY familiar, roar._

            The light dimmed, and Yugi looked back at the field. When he saw the creature that had taken the place of the heart, he was absolutely dumbstruck. Never in his life had he been faced with such an amazing power. Raia watched in pure satisfaction as Yugi's face went from disbelief to utter amazement, to awe, to fear, and finally to horror without a single sound from his lips, or anyone else's, for what seemed like hours.

            "Oh, my..." Bakura whispered in astonishment.

            "It can't be..." Tristan murmured.

            "How is that possible...?" Téa asked.

            "No way..." Joey breathed.

            The great beast that stood before them was in fact, **_THE BLUE-EYES WHITE DRAGON!!!!_**

            "WHITE LIGHTNING ATTACK!!!!" Raia cried victoriously. The room was once again filled with blinding brilliance and the Summoned Skull disappeared from the field.

            Yugi watched, completely thunderstruck. Somewhere in the distance, the computer sounded, lowering his life points to 900.

            "If she made the Blue-Eyes...from the heart a' the cards..." Joey murmured.

            Téa continued, "...that means...she's dueling..."

            "...for Seto Kaiba," Yugi finished in a breath barely audible, even to himself.

            Raia nodded. "Seto Kaiba has been the closest thing I've had to a family for many years. I'm not about to let some greedy suits take him away and ruin everything he's ever worked for. I'm here on a rescue mission, Yugi, and no one, not you, and not Pegasus, is going to stop me from getting him _and Mokuba back." Her face showed nothing but defiance and determination. Her icy blue eyes stared straight at Yugi, and pierced right through to his soul. Her look was so transfixing; Yugi couldn't tear his eyes from her, or stop the intense beating of his heart. It thundered in his ears, caused by a mix of fear, awe, and...something else he couldn't quite put his finger on._

            "Wow," Téa said. "I've never seen anyone this determined before. She's bent on getting Kaiba back."

            "Trust me, Raia, I know what you're feeling," Yugi responded.

            "How could you possibly know what it's like?" Raia asked.

            "Because Pegasus has taken the soul of my grandpa, too," Yugi answered.

            Raia looked at him, speechless. _The old man..._ she thought. _He planned to rescue him and Seto and Mokuba all along..._ Yugi looked back at her from across the arena, and they knew, in silent understanding, that it didn't matter now who won the match. 

            "This doesn't mean that I'm not going to try to win," Raia said.

            "And I will do everything in my power to do the same," Yugi called back.

            "Well, better put a plan together fast, Yugi. It's your move."

            "And for it, I play Celtic Guardian in defense mode." he announced. He looked down at the cards on the field, and noticed that he still had one card face down, from near the beginning of the match. _But what is it...? I can't remember._

            "White lightning attack!" Raia broke into his thoughts. The Celtic Guardian was destroyed. "Yugi, you're demise is moments away," she said.

            Yugi drew a card. "I still have my Kuriboh on the field, and even if you attack, they'll multiply right back. So make your move."

            "You put far too much trust into those little fuzzballs," Raia called. "Paralyzing Potion!"

            "Oh, no!" Yugi cried.

            "Yes. The paralyzing effects of my magic card end your Kuriboh's multiplication. Sorry, Yugi. White Lightning attack!!"

            Yugi took a quick look at the facedown card on the field. _What have I got to lose?_

            "I play this trap card," he said, as he flipped it over. 

            "A trap card?" Raia asked in surprise.

            "It's been on the field since the beginning, but now is the time!" He flipped it over. "Drag Net!"

            "What the..." Raia began.

            "AAARRRGGGHHH!!" Joey cried.

            "What now?" Téa asked.

            "I was gettin' frustrated learnin' alla HER cards, and now YUGI pulls out a new one?!"

            "Geez, Joey, calm down," Tristan said.

            "What does that do?" Raia asked.

            "Drag Net subtracts the attack points of my opponents monster directly from their life points!"

            "WHAT?! NOOOOOO!!!" Raia cried.

            The computers beeped wildly as their life points both lowered to zero.


	5. Part V

Wow, this was a really short fic, wasn't it? Unfortunately, this is the shortest of all the chapters! I know it's short, but there wasn't really much else to be said. Remember, this was my first EVER fic, so I wasn't very good at prolonging a story. Anyway, I hope you like it! Please R&R, and thank you for reading!

PART V

            As the light from the attack dimmed, the room was coated with a stunned silence.

            "A draw?" Joey whispered in amazement.

            "So...what happens now?" Téa asked.

            Joey shook his head. "I don't know."

            _Now what do we do? Raia wondered. _

            _There's never been a tie in a tournament before, Yugi thought._

            Pegasus spoke. "Since the rules of this tournament do not address the issue we have at hand, I propose this tie-breaker..."

            _Oh, no. PLEASE don't make me duel him again, Raia silently pleaded. _I don't think I could do this a second time.__

_            Not another duel,_ Yugi thought. _I barely managed to squeak by this time._

"I propose that both of you shuffle your decks and draw one card. The strongest card wins," Pegasus finished.

            "What kind of tie-breaker is THAT?!" Téa called.

            "The fairest one I could think of," Pegasus responded. "Since they proved themselves even in a test of skill, they now must rely on luck."

            "Doesn't sound very fair to me," Tristan muttered.

            _I've got a lot more than just luck on my side... Raia thought as she shuffled and drew her card._

            ..._I've got the Heart of the Cards to help me. Yugi shuffled and drew._

            "Duelists, reveal your cards!"

            Raia turned her card over, showing her Water Omotics. Yugi in return revealed his Celtic Guardian.

            "ANOTHER tie?! How is that possible?" Téa exclaimed.

            "What is goin' _ON _here?" Joey cried in frustration.

            "This is just plain freaky," Tristan observed.

            Pegasus grumbled, clearly irritated.

            Raia looked down, lost in thought for a moment. Then she picked up her deck and looked at the bottom card: the Heart of the Cards. Her Millennium Heart glowed softly as the spirit retreated back into its haven. She looked across the field at Yugi and let out a deep sigh. Then she replaced her deck, but left her hand on top of it. 

            "Go for it, Yugi," she said.

            "What?" he asked softly.

            "I concede. It's clear to me that I'm not the person for this job."

            "What do you mean?"

            "I mean it's going to take someone who is willing to risk anything to defeat Pegasus, like you did. You gave up a victory to keep me from it."

            "This wasn't about preventing your victory," Yugi said. "This was about acknowledging an equal."

            Raia smiled. "Promise me you'll bring them back," she said.

            "I promise. You will see Kaiba and Mokuba again," Yugi answered.

            Raia nodded, and then turned to leave the arena.

            "Raia," Yugi called. She stopped and half-turned to face him.

            "I have to ask you something..." he thought a moment, trying to properly phrase the question. "When you played the Heart of the Cards... I mean... Why is Kaiba at the heart of your cards?"

            Raia grinned. "Gee, Yugi, didn't I tell you?" She waited a beat. "He's my brother." With that she turned and left a silent, stunned Yugi staring after her. 

            The realization of it hit him like a ton of bricks. The height (she had to be at least 5'7"); her long brown hair, complete with the single lock that hung between her deep blue eyes; the way she dueled; the way she'd taunted him; heck, even the way she made fun of Joey. He couldn't believe he hadn't noticed it before. Perhaps it was the feminity of her features, or maybe it had just been his own thick-headedness that prevented him from seeing the truth before: this wasn't _just_ Kaiba's sister, she was his _twin_.

            "I knew it," Joey whispered to himself. From that first icy glare when she'd barged into the hall, Joey had known it, somewhere in the back of his brain.

            Yugi stood still. He hadn't moved yet. He couldn't quite get past the shock. Then, he could suddenly sense her voice, like an echo in his head: "I know you'll beat Pegasus. I'll be cheering for you."


	6. Preview

Guess who's writing again? I haven't died, honest!

Joey: Are you kidding? We've been rejoicing!

Seto: Years free of your ridiculous stories!

Robin: Years?

Raia: points to last update Almost two.

Robin: NoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOooooo!!!

Oh well. That just means you are all in for a real treat. Here's a sneak peek at the next thing I'm working on. (Make sure you read Mr. Chaos's fanfics on this site, too. I'm borrowing some characters. )

Unnoticed she was not as Guy's gaze followed her retreating form. However tonight was his night, as his father had reminded him for the last two weeks, and he was required to be cordial, humoring the guest at hand. Though he was more than happy to let his mind wander to far more pleasant things...

Raia slipped through a grove of trees and came upon a secluded gazebo with a front-porch style swing. She sat, the swing giving only minor protest, and let her mind drift.

Geno Roads was a good man, but not so much the most scrupulous one. In fact, Raia reminded herself, he had taught her every vice that she now employed in her life. She had no doubt that he had done the same with his own son. Geno was worldly and womanizing- among other things- and she imagined Guy was much the same way. Without the fond feelings for him as she held for his father to cushion the facts, she took an instant dislike to him. Something about the look in Geno's eyes when he introduced them, however, told her he knew exactly what he was doing.

_All right, I'll work with him._ Raia sighed with defeat. _But__ I'll be damned if I'm going to be manipulated by any Roads._

A startling punctuation came in the form of two gunshots, followed by the terrified pandemonium of the party guests.


End file.
